Friday August 15, 2025
Mandela National stadium, Namboole
- South Africa vs Niger – 8pm
- Guinea vs Algeria – 5pm
South Africa and Niger face off at Mandela National stadium, Namboole on Friday night in a game that also holds significance for the Uganda Cranes in group C of the TotalEnergies Africa Nations Championship.
Bafana Bafana are unbeaten in two matches winning 2-1 against Guinea and drawing with Algeria while Niger have lost both matches against Uganda and Guinea 2-0 and 1-0 respectively.
Niger tactician Harouna Doulla expects a tough game for both teams but the target for his side is pick their first tournament point.
“Tomorrow’s (Friday) game against South Africa will undoubtedly be a tough one for both teams. We are still looking for our first point in this competition, but we believe anything can happen. It will be difficult, but not impossible,” Doulla insisted.
“Our immediate goal is to secure our first point, and we want to achieve that in this game,” he added.
Molefi Ntseki, the Bafana Bafana tactician says although Niger are yet to pick a point, they will be tough opponent.
“When it comes to tournament football, it is crucial to adjust strategies according to the opponent. Even though Niger hasn’t scored any points yet, we cannot underestimate them. They are a well-structured and dangerous team at certain moments in the game,” Ntseki warned.
“The two remaining matches are decisive. If we don’t win, we will depend on calculations and combinations, and that is something we want to avoid. It is up to us to do our job and secure qualification.”
In the early match on Friday, Algeria will seek to bounce back from a draw with South Africa when they face Guinea.